During what is a jam-packed college football weekend, three matchups are scheduled to pit ranked teams against each other. On Saturday evening, one such matchup features the No. 22 Auburn Tigers traveling to State College, Pa., to face the No. 10 Penn State Nittany Lions. Both teams are unbeaten, with Auburn blowing out two non-Power Five opponents in Akron and Alabama State. Penn State opened its season with a huge road win over Wisconsin before returning home to defeat Ball State last week.
Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET at Beaver Stadium. Caesars Sportsbook lists the Nittany Lions as five-point home favorites in the latest Auburn vs. Penn State odds, while the over-under, or total number of points Vegas thinks will be scored, is 53. Before making any Penn State vs. Auburn picks or college football predictions, make sure to check out what SportsLine’s advanced computer model has to say.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every FBS college football game 10,000 times. Over the past five-plus years, the proprietary computer model has generated a stunning profit of over $3,500 for $100 players on its top-rated college football picks against the spread. It also enters Week 3 of the 2021 season on a 67-50 run on all top-rated college football picks. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Auburn vs. Penn State and just revealed its picks and predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see its picks. Now, here are several Week 3 college football odds and betting trends for Penn State vs. Auburn:
- Auburn vs. Penn State spread: Penn State -5
- Auburn vs. Penn State over-under: 53 points
- Auburn vs. Penn State money line: PSU -200, AUB +170
- AUB: The Tigers are 7-6 against the spread in the last 13 games
- PSU: The Nittany Lions are 6-5 against the spread in the last 11 games
Featured Game | Penn State Nittany Lions vs. Auburn Tigers
Why Auburn can cover
Auburn’s schedule has certainly been soft to this point, but there is no denying the Tigers have been incredible offensively. Auburn leads the nation in scoring, averaging 61 points per game, and they are a top-seven team in the country in total offense (575.5 yards per game) and rushing offense (340 yards per game). Through the air, the Tigers are averaging 10.2 yards per pass attempt and completing nearly 72 percent of their passes, with six touchdowns and no interceptions.
Auburn is converting a blistering 58.8 percent of its third-down chances, and part of that stems from a dominant running game. The Tigers have two players averaging north of 10.0 yards per carry in Jarquez Hunter and Tank Bigsby and, as a team, Auburn is producing 9.6 yards with every handoff. The Tigers have eight rushing touchdowns in two games, and veteran quarterback Bo Nix puts pressure on the opposition with his feet. In addition to leading the passing attack, Nix has more than 700 career rushing yards, and he has been accurate and effective in the early going.
Why Penn State can cover
Penn State has been tested at a level that Auburn has not. The Nittany Lions own one of the best wins of the young season (over Wisconsin) and they have posted solid numbers on both sides of the ball. Offensively, the Nittany Lions are generating 395 total yards and 30 points per game. That includes 250 yards per game through the air, with Penn State averaging 7.8 yards per pass attempt.
Penn State is also holding its opponents to just 11.5 points per game, including just 10 against Wisconsin. The normally potent Wisconsin running game generated just 3.1 yards per carry and, through two games, Penn State’s defense is holding opponents to just 5.0 yards per pass attempt with four interceptions and no touchdown passes. Auburn’s ground game will be a challenge for any opponent to deal with, but the Nittany Lions have tremendous defensive talent and enough firepower to set the pace.
How to make Auburn vs. Penn State picks
SportsLine’s model is leaning under on the point total, with neither team projected to have a leading rusher with more than 70 yards. The model also says one side of the spread hits in over 60 percent of simulations. You can only get the model’s Penn State vs. Auburn pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Auburn vs. Penn State? And which side of the spread hits in over 60 percent of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to find out which side of the Auburn vs. Penn State spread you need to jump on Saturday, all from the model that has crushed its college football picks, and find out.
